Midway through this week to huge disappointment we were greeted by the new that St Ives II had defaulted, unable to get a side together despite their 3rd and 4th teams not having fixtures. At the start of this season on our 'Doodle' poll we had 9 out for this weekend between both teams. Thus it's a huge demonstration of the lengths we go to in avoid defaulting that through the hard work of Skip and AB had got us up to 21 players. That effort looked to be wasted but AB came up with the idea of contacting other club who had been defaulted. McCann used his initiative to execute cold calls to the clubs concerned, result in a friendly game at El Campo against St Giles III, who had just been promoted from Junior 5.

Huge thanks to St Giles III for a good game played in a healthy competitive spirit and all coming to the Kings Head for one afterwards. Ditton were without Skip (illness) and Fez (unknown, rumours of a lively friday night), but were brought up to 11 but AB's coaching colleague Marty and St Giles batsman Bidfield.

Ditton were the winners by 50 runs, but overwhelmingly the feeling from both teams was being pleased to just get a game, even if the cloudy and gloomy weather didn't match the sunny Saturday's we've had a few of this summer.
Everybody got a decent chance to contribute with the bat or ball, and these were the particularly notable moments/contributions:

- Longy put in a man-of-the-match performance to finish his cricket season, with 46, 3-9 and a direct hit run out. His spell included a genuine slip catch from AB.

- For the second week running AB got a 'controversial' decision, caught at slip by one that appeared to come off the keeper and be a way from the bat. Eventually he reluctantly made his way off after St Giles considered calling him back. AB had his revenge by taking 3-4 off 7 overs.

- AB's friend Mart hit a nice 50 retired on debut after St Giles' donated player Bidfield fell just short of his 50.

- McCann bowled an extended spell and was challenged to produce to maiden, managing it in his 6th over, a stumping of the last ball actually making it a wicket maiden.

- Mark Benn fielded brilliantly out on the off-side boundary.

- George Colwell bowled well and bagged himself a couple of wickets, one caught by McCann another stumped by father Paul.

In league matters the St Ives default gives us 20 points, leaving us 4th and 10-7.
Notably in other results Littleport won a 6th straight game and racked up 368-7 vs Over so looked set to stay up, fair play and what a way to do it. Our opponents next week Milton are 7-9 after losing both matches in their 'double header' against Wilburton. We've only done the double over one team this season (Over) so it would be nice to double that tally with an away win next week. That would mean we finish the season 11-7 and potentially allow us to pip Granta into 3rd place (they are currently just 5pts ahead of us).